Apparatus for processing small parts by tumbling



Dec. 13, 1960 J. A. LISOWSKI ETAL 2,954,300

I APPARATUS F OR PROCESSING SMALL PARTS BY TUMBLING Filed Nov. 12, 19575 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS JOHN A. z/sowsx/ Mm/wr a. use WJk/ BY 150N420.6. use WSAI wm MQATM ATTORNE'YJ Dec. 13, 1960 J. A. LISOWSKI ET AL2,964,300

APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING SMALL PARTS BY TUMBLING Filed NOV. 12, 1957 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- JOHN A. use W6K/ Dec. 13, 1960 J. A.ILISOWSKIETAL APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING SMALL PARTS BY TUMBLING Filed Nov. 12,1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS dOl/A ,4. z/somswl nm/vx a, uson/wr/United States Pa e 3 tr APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING SMALL PARTS BY TUMBLINGJohn A. Lisowski andjtank B. Lisowski, Detroit, and Leonard- E.Lisowski, Newport, Mi ch., assignors to {Natural Products Company,Newport, MichL, a' Michigaii co-partnership Filed Nov..12,.1957, Ser.No. 695,885 11 Claims. (Cl. 259-57 The invention relates to apparatusfor processing small parts which are -to be exposed to various treatingmedia by a tumbling action and forms a continuation-in-part of ourformer application for patent, Serial No. 471,598, filed' November 29,1954. As for example, and as has been heretofore practiced, small partswhich are to be electroplated have been placed in a tumbling barrel andimmersed in the electrolytewhere they are subjected to a tumbling actionwhile in electrical contact with the cathode. The anode is outside ofthe tumbling barrel and" to provide communication between'the outsideand insideof the barrel the latter is provided with perforated walls.However, it has been found that this interposes a high electricalresistance between the anode and cathode which necessitates increasingthe-difference of potential thereof over that required where there is:no 'such obstruction. This also results in requiring a greaterconsumptionof electrical-energy to accomplish the plating and slows'upthe process.

It is the object of the invention toretain the tumbling action and atthe same time to reduce the obstruction so that-in electroplating theprocess can be carried out at' -lower voltage and more-expeditiously.Also for other treatments it is advantageous to remove theobstructionbetwen-the interior and exterior. To this end .the inventionconsists in a means for tumbling the work with free communication forthe fluid between the -interior and exterior of the tumbling means.

The invention further consists in the construction of a tumbling barrelformed of a plurality of segmental members which together are of anangular magnitude considerably less than 360 to leave an open segment,together with intermittent rotating means .for said membersthrough-which this open segment is always above the work.

.Still 'further the invention consists in the more specific constructionas hereinafter set forth.

Inthe accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal section through .the improved tumblingapparatus on the line -1--1 of Figure 2.

FFigureZ is acrosssection thereof onthe line 2-2 :of Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4and 5 are diagrammatic cross sections "showing the variouspositions of parts during rotation and tumbling action.

Figurefiis a perspective view of one of the baskets,

with year omitted.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the two baskets in nested relationwith certain parts omitted for clarity. Asshow'n in Figures 1, 2, and 7A and B are segmental "b'as'ket' members rotatable about a common axisand conriect'ecl' to each other by hollow trunnons C at oppositeentls'thereof. Construction of one of the members (B).

is shown in Fig. 6. This view shows the stepped end The other of themember shown. When the baskets are nested ICC together in-such a mannerthat the supporting hub A of basketaA-ris on the opposite end ofsupporting hub B of basket B the members overlap each other to form, ineifect, a single basket which is considerably less than 360 to leave alarge open segment as shown in Fig. 7. Each basket. is in fixed axialrelation to the other as is obvious from the assembly shown in Figs. 1and 7 and these basket members are also relatively movable and as willlater appear, they are shifted from a position where the overlap .isonone side thereof to a position where it- .ison the opposite side. Asspecifically shown,. these segments are polygonal with eccentricportions having bounding .sides with one of its bounding .sides ofgreater radius than the other so that each will overlap the other on oneside and underlap on the opposite side. The trunnions are supported,in-a-frame including vertical members D and D to the lower ends ofwhich the trunnions are connected and a cross member or frame E at theupper end. The members of each of the pairs A and A A and A B and Band-B and B overlap and are rigidly secured to each other to formstepped end walls of baskets A and B respectively. Members A and B arethe peripheral walls and have the .leadingedge at a greater distancefrom center of rotation than the trailing edge. The overlappingportionsA and A of the basket A are outside the portions -B ofthe-basketBbothradially and axially. The trunnions Care non-revolublyaattached tothe members D- and D and revoluble sleeve members C and C surroundingthe members Cextend through the hubs A? and B of -the-end-walls A and Band beyond the same. Gear wheels- F and F rotatable about sleeves C andC are on respective baskets A and B so as to move with the individualbaskets. Therefore one gear wheel forms asupport and-driving member forthe basket A and the other for thebasketB. The gear wheels F and F areinmesh-withzdriving gear wheels G and G which latter are-connected by ashaft H- so that both rotate together. However the gear wheels F andFhave their teeth interrupted atF so as to passrout of mesh with. the.teeth of the gear wheels G and G during a portion of each rotation;These interrupted portions in the two gears F and Fare so located withrespect to each basket that when the basketis in the under or worksupporting posi tion, the gear is out .of mesh with its driving gearG orG, and when: the basket is displaced from this position, the gear is inmesh with its respective drive gear. 'By this arrangement while onebasket is at rest, the gear of the other is in mesh with its drive gearso that rotation will still be communicated thereto. Each-of the basketmembers .A .and B when .in rotation by its gears is adapted -to drivethe other member when in advance thereof and-in contact .therewith butto withdraw from contact with a basket in the rear. Thus whenuone ofthebaskets'such as A is in the under or work supporting position, itsmovement will be temporarily arrested by the passing of its driving.gear 6 out of mesh or in the interrupted port-ion of the .gear F. Themember B will still be .driven and as aconsequence, it will move acrosstheopen segment which is above the work withdrawing its underlappingtrailing end consisting of walls B and -B -from.the member -A and movingits advance end consisting. of walls B B and B into overlappingengagement withthe'opposite side of the member A. When the leading edges.of the end walls B and B of basket Bcome in contact with trailing edgesof walls A and A of-member A, member B will then propel member A to..move with it until gear F of member A is in mesh with its drive gear.When member B reaches on the .underside in work supporting position itsfurther movennent. arrested while member A new rotated by its drive gearwill withdraw its underlapping trailing end 3 from member B. Member Awill now continue to rotate over and above member B bringing the leadingedges of its end walls A and A into contact with trailing edges of wallsB and B of member B, moving it into mesh with drive gear G, and untilits own gear F is out of mesh with drive gear G. It will thus beunderstood that the opening between the members A and B is always abovethe work but is shifted from one side to the other while one of saidmembers is at rest and the other moving.

Where the device is used for electroplating, insulated electric cables Iare extended in through the hollow trunnions to the pile of work restingon the lower basket and the ends of said cables have metallic portions Ifor conducting current to the work and forming a cathode thereof. Theanode is outside of the baskets and is preferably in two portions onopposite sides thereof so that one portion is always adjacent to theopen segment for free passage of the ions between the anode and cathode.

In operation and as dIagrammatically illustrated in Figures 3 to Sinclusive, the small part work pieces are loaded into the baskets A andB through the opening therebetween and are there in electricalconnection with the cathode terminals of the cables I. Through the gearconnections above described, the two baskets A and B rotate togetherthrough a portion of the cycle but when each is in a position below thework therein, it will be permitted to rest while the member above thework will be moved to withdraw its underlapping portion from the restingmember and to move it into overlapping relation with the opposite sideof said member. Thus, as shown in Figure 3, the member B is at thebottom and is resting, the member A having its trailing portionunderlapping the member B or to the left, it being assumed that therotation is in clockwise direction. In Figure 4, the member B is stillat rest, but the member A has moved over the top from left to right tooverlap the trailing portion of the member B. The members A and B thenrotate together until attaining the position in Figure 5 where themember A occupies the position of the member B in Figure 3 after whichits movement is arrested and the member B continues to rotate. Thesemembers may be arranged with reference to the angle of repose in thepile of work so that this pile as it tumbles will always fall into asupporting portion. At the same time, there is always a wide angleopening between the members A and B which is alternately at one side orthe other or is divided between the two sides. Inasmuch as the anode hasportions on opposite sides of the rotating members, at least one portionwill always be adjacent to the opening between the exterior andinterior. To facilitate distribution of the load within the basket atrest, which load tumbles from the rotating basket in advance thereof,each basket at its trailing end has an inwardly projecting rake portionK at an oblique angle to the radius. This operates to direct thetumbling work farther to the rear in the resting basket and avoidoverloading of its portion forward of the axis to cause a reverseoscillation.

To discharge the work after completion of the process thereof it is onlynecessary to manually slightly rotate the lower basket immediately afterit comes to rest to remesh its interrupted gear with the driving geartherefor. This causes both baskets to rotate together while the opensegment therebetween passes to the underside to dump the worktherethrough.

While we have thus far described the apparatus as used forelectroplating, it is obvious that for many other treatments it ishfghly desirable to have free communication between the exterior andinterior of the tumbling means. Even in the electroplating processesthere are several treatments in separate tanks, some for cleaning andpreparing the work for plating, and others for cleansing it after theplating process is completed. We have therefore made our unit so it canbe easily shifted from pne tank to another being lifted by the topportion E of the frame. The means for driving the gear wheels G and Gmay be either a motor carried by the frame or, if desired, they may bedriven by any other suitable means.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A tumbling holder for processing small parts comprising a pair ofindependently rotatable segmental cylindrical baskets having portionsadapted for overlapping each other alternately on opposite sides, andwhen thus overlapped on one side leaving a relatively large open angularsegment between their opposite sides, each basket being in fixed axialrelation to the other and having one of its bounding sides of greaterradius than the other and means for intermittently and alternatelyrotating each of said baskets in one and the same direction through apartial revolution about a common horizontal axis with an interval ofrest between successive movements of each basket during which it is insupporting position for the work therein, each basket during itsmovement shifting the overlap from one side to the other thereof withthe open segment always above the work.

2. The construction as in claim 1 in which the advanced side of eachbasket has a segmental portion of larger radius than that of itstrailing side to overlap the outer face of the trailing side of theother basket.

3. The construction as in claim 1 in which the means for rotating saidbaskets comprises an interrupted gear on each basket and simultaneouslyrotating driving gears for the respective interrupted gears, theinterruptions of said interrupted gears being positioned on theirrespective baskets to time the rest periods thereof.

4. The construction as in claim 2 in which, while one basket is at rest,the advance side of the rotating basket will move to overlap thetrailing side of the resting. basket.

5. The construction as in claim 2 in which the trailing side portion ofeach basket has a radially inwardly projecting rake which directs thework tumbling therefrom into the basket at rest farther to the rear inthe latter. thereby checking tendency to reverse oscillation.

6. The construction as in claim 3 in which each interrupted gear whileout of mesh with its driving gear is remeshed therewith after aninterval through the rotation of its basket by the basket in rearthereof.

7. The construction as in claim 6 in which a slight manual rotation ofthe basket at rest immediately after the unmeshing of its interruptedgear will permit the open segment to pass below to discharge the worktherethrough.

8. The construction as in claim 5 having a lifting frame carrying saidrotatable basket members and a driving mechanism thereon including saiddriving gears, said lifting frame forming a means for transferring saidtumbling holder from one processing station to another.

9. A tumbling holder for processing small work parts comprising aplurality of segmental cylindrical baskets having portions adapted tooverlap each other and rotatable in the same direction about a commonhorizontal axis and through successive revolutions, each basket being infixed axial relation to the other and having one of its bounding sidesof greater radius than the other said baskets together when overlappedhaving an angular magnitude sufficiently less than 360 to leave a largeopen segment, and means for alternately rotating each basket through apartial revolution while said open segment is above the axis and inadvance of the basket being rotated, thereby closing the opening andopening a segment to the rear which also is above the axis andpropelling the basket in advance. whereby during continuing tumbling ofthe work one of said baskets is always beneath to support the same andthe open areas are out of the tumbling path. Y

10. A tumbling holder for processing small work parts comprising a pairof like segmental baskets rotatable about a commonhorizontal axis andtogether having an angular magnitude of less than 360, leaving an opensegment therebetween, each basket being in fixed axial relation to theother and having one of its bounding sides of greater radius than theother each basket being the mirror image of the other and having steppedend walls, means for intermittently and alternately rotating each basketin one and the same direction through a partial revolution with anintermediate period of rest during which each is below and in a positionto support all of the work, said open segment being above and out of thetumbling path of the work and changing from one side to the other ofeach basket while stationary.

11. The construction as in claim 10 in which the open segment is on theadvance side of each basket at the beginning of each movement thereofand changes to the trailing side during said movement.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 806,835Potthofi Dec. 12, 1905 FOREIGN PATENTS 342,477 Great Britain Feb. 5,1931

